Another question off of Darcy's LDS Ladies question -- dehydrating food

[scrap2day]

I didn't want to hijack Darcy's LDS Ladies thread so I'll ask here. Does anybody here dehydrate food for long term storage? I am fascinated by this website http://www.dehydrate2store.com/. She also talks about the LDS Cannery for a place to get supplies. I'm not as interested in where to get supplies as I am does anyone do this? Does it work well for you? Do you have any great recipes? How do you store to not attract rodents/bugs (glass canning jars?)?

I imagine this is a great way to deal with the surplus from a garden or good sales. Or for the LDS Ladies to store their food supply for their family.

Thanks in advance for any hints.

[Sarah8914]

that is very interesting! We don't do it and I don't know anyone who does, but I'll be watching this thread!

I think most people who store things from gardens and such just can them, but, I don't really know!

[Darcy Baldwin]

I freeze more than I dehydrate, but I really want to dehydrate on a larger scale. This year, our apple trees may actually produce apples we can eat (as opposed to the birds eating them all), and instead of only doing applesauce, I want to dehydrate a bunch of apple bits for oatmeal and baking!

My Dad has been wanting to get an Excaliber for ages, but they're pretty hefty in $$.

At this point, the one we've used is this ;)

Box Fan Dehydrator (http://www.ehow.com/how_2220777_dehydrate-food-traditional-dehydrator.html)

[Traci Reed]

we dehydrate fruit about to turn in an effort to not waste money. It's SUPER yummy and usually disappears faster than I can take it off the dehydrator.

[NeverendingJen]

I don't, but growing up my mom always dehydrated apples and pears, making 'chips' out of the thin slices. they were soooo nummy. I want to still do it, I just don't have a dehydrator!

[jorgies5]

My mom also did it when I was little...if I remember correctly she would put it in glass jars. But I don't think it lasted very long at our house either.

[MamaBee]

I remember when I was little that my mom also dehydrated food. We did a lot of banana chips, apples, pineapple, apricots... we always had problems with fruit flies during the dehydration process. As for storage, we put them in plastic Tupperware containers.

My hubby's family... up until a few years ago when their dehydrator broke... made a lot of jerky... mainly deer and beef.

[lovely1m]

I lurve dehydrated food. I want to get one, but I have a TINY apt and don't have room for one.

My mom used to can apples that were all ready to just pour into an apple pie/crisp, etc. If you want I could aske her to find the recipe.

[scrap2day]

I lurve dehydrated food. I want to get one, but I have a TINY apt and don't have room for one.

My mom used to can apples that were all ready to just pour into an apple pie/crisp, etc. If you want I could aske her to find the recipe.

Oh that's so sweet of you to offer but I have never done canning.

[meems]

I am interested in dehydrating food too. Especially apples.

I was looking at the book Raw Energy (http://www.amazon.com/Raw-Energy-Recipes-Smoothies-Supercharge/dp/1603424679/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276715996&sr=1-1) recently and there were some recipes in there that needed a dehydrator.